


Not So Subtle.

by caitlesshea



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Air Force, Aliens, M/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 17:24:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/pseuds/caitlesshea
Summary: Alex Manes knows one thing when he wakes up that morning:  He's in love with Michael Guerin.And he knows two things when he goes to sleep that night: He's in love with Michael Guerin and Michael's an alien.





	Not So Subtle.

**Author's Note:**

> So I am 100% convinced that someone knows about Michael & Alex, so for the sake of this story, that's Kyle. And I really hope someone (Michael) tells Alex about aliens. Enough with the secrets Roswell!
> 
> HUGE thanks to allthehearteyes and bestillmyslashyheart. Could not have done this without you.

Alex groans awake. He hasn’t been sleeping well. He knows why, but he doesn’t want to think too heavily on that, especially not at this hour. Plus he has to get a move on, since Kyle is coming over at this ungodly hour to show him something  _ important. _ Why he couldn’t just tell him on the phone was beyond him. 

 

He finally finishes getting ready and goes outside with his coffee. He’s about to sit down, when he sees Kyle come around the corner. 

 

“You really are out here in the middle of nowhere, aren’t you?” Kyle comes up the steps to Alex’s log cabin. He shrugs.

 

“I like it out here.” He sees Kyle give him a  _ look _ , but he can’t decipher it right now. And frankly, he doesn’t want to. 

 

“So what did you want to talk about?” He goes to sit. Before he can fully sit down, Kyle puts a hand on his arm, “Inside?” He indicates as he looks at the front door.

 

Alex nods and walks inside. “Coffee?” He offers Kyle as he pours himself another cup. 

 

“Sure thanks.” Kyle sits down at Alex’s small kitchen table and Alex walks over to hand him a mug before going back for his own. He finally gets to the table and notices Kyle seems strangely nervous. 

 

“So…” Alex prompts, just waiting for Kyle to cut to the chase. 

 

Kyle exhales a large breath and chews on his bottom lip. “How much do you know about what your dad works on?” 

 

_ Huh _ . That is not at all what Alex expected Kyle to say. If this was about his dad’s work, then they could’ve had this conversation in town or on the base. He shakes his head, “Nothing other than the plans for the new buildings going up.”

 

“Yeah. I thought so.” Kyle shakes his head. He looks... _ resigned.  _ So very different from the surgeon at the hospital. He seems to be having some sort of internal conversation with himself. Which he apparently figures out, because Kyle pulls out his phone and opens some photos.

 

“What’s this?” Alex asks. 

 

“Just scroll through,” Kyle hands him his phone. And Alex does. What he sees is...shocking, to say the least. Tons and tons of papers and notes on what looks to be the 1947 UFO crash. And what’s even more surprising is that some of these calculations look familiar. But why? It takes him a moment to realize that they look very similar to Michael’s work that he has in his trailer.  _ Weird.  _ And then he sees his dad’s handwriting in a few of the pictures. He pauses and looks up at Kyle. 

 

“What is this?” Alex demands. He has more than one question on the tip of his tongue, and it’s taking all of his will power to not rapid fire them at Kyle. 

 

“This is your dad's and my dad’s research on the crash. And their absolute conviction that aliens are real,” Kyle replies, like that’s a normal thing to say. And perhaps it is, in Roswell. But still. 

 

He just stares at Kyle, who thankfully understands his confusion because he proceeds with his explanation. 

 

“Apparently, our dads had been working on research to confirm that there were aliens that survived the crash. And before my dad died, he told me that if I were to ever see anyone with a strange handprint on them, that I was to go to your dad and ask him about this.”  Kyle gestures to his phone. 

 

“So...I saw one. And went to your dad. And he introduced me to Project Shepard. Or so he calls it, and he convinced me to find my dad’s notes,” Kyle continues and grabs the phone to scroll to some more photos, “He’s been pressuring me to join his hunt for the aliens, because he wants to eliminate them, and he wants me to tell him who I saw the handprint on.”

 

Alex is in shock. He’s trying to take it all in. His dad having a secret alien department, his dad’s obsession with finding the aliens, his dad’s intent to terminate aliens. That they live among actual aliens. That Kyle knows them. That he saw someone with a handprint. And what’s that about? And wait..did Kyle say his dad wants to know who it was?

 

“Did you?” Alex barely gets out. His mind is reeling. He knows how his father is. He can only imagine what his dad threatened Kyle with to get him to even help this much. But to give the name of a friend or patient over. He shudders at the thought.

 

“No. I didn’t,” Kyle says, “And I told him I wouldn’t help him take out these aliens either. I told him to come get you or your brothers if he wanted an army.”

 

Alex laughs at that, “Yeah I bet that went over well.” Kyle shrugs. Exactly. Alex can just imagine the lovely things Master Sergeant Manes had to say about him. 

 

Alex sobers. He has so many questions. And he honestly doesn’t know if he wants the answers. Ignorance is bliss. Right? But...his curiosity gets the better of him, so he asks anyway.

 

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Alex suggests as he takes a sip of his coffee.

 

Kyle eyes him warily, but he starts talking. “Okay. So you know how Liz is back in town?”

 

Alex nods. “Well, we were hanging out, after the shooting at the Crashdown, and I noticed this weird coloring on her chest, so I asked her about it. When she pulled her shirt to the side to look, I noticed it was a hand print,” Kyle says. Alex smirks at him and quirks an eyebrow.   _ Right, _ hanging out. Kyle rolls his eyes. 

 

“Anyways. I then went to your dad, and he told me all about Project Shepard. So I had to ask her. And the next day she confirmed who left the handprint. And well, she’s been talking to him about it since then. Apparently he confessed the whole thing.”

 

“Who?” Alex can’t help but ask, “And confessed to what?”

 

“To being an alien. How they all got here in the crash, how they hide in plain sight,” Kyle says. 

 

“Who is it Kyle?” Alex asks again, getting annoyed. Somehow, he knows he isn’t going to like the answer, but he needs to know. He needs confirmation. For what he’s feeling and who he thinks it is. The anxiety ratcheting up inside him is almost unbearable. 

 

He hears Kyle sigh. He seems to be holding back, like he doesn’t want to actually admit it, less it actually becomes real. 

 

“Kyle?” Alex asks again for the third time, because really, he can’t begin to even process what he’s just found out unless he knows all the details. 

 

“It’s Max Evans,” Kyle finally says a couple of moments later. Alex sits back in his chair and almost knocks his coffee over. It wasn’t what he was expecting, but it’s somehow  _ worse. _

 

“Max Evans? You mean the Deputy that works for your mom, Max Evans? The Max Evans who had a crush on Liz all through high school, Max Evans? Isobel Evans twin brother, Max Evans?” 

 

“That’s the one.” Kyle’s fiddling with his coffee cup.

 

“And Liz said there were others?” Alex asks, “Who?”

 

“She wouldn’t tell me, but it isn’t hard to figure out, if you think about it.”

 

“No it isn’t.” Alex sighs. And doesn’t that just really suck. If there are two people who know Max Evans the best, it’s Isobel and Michael. The two other kids found abandoned on the side of the road with Max when they were seven. 

 

“She hasn’t confirmed anything. But she says Max did tell her who it was, and she didn’t want to betray their confidence, since they didn’t know she told me.”

 

Alex is nodding. He’s paying attention, sure. But it sounds like white noise. He knows what Kyle is saying. Hell, it’s the first thing that came to his mind as soon as Kyle said Max’s name. But he doesn’t want to think about it. About the fact that his  _ ex-boyfriend, _ or whatever Michael is, might be an alien. Or, even better, has known that Max is an alien and hasn’t said anything. 

 

“Alex. You okay?” Kyle asks, “I know it’s a shock. Trust me.”

 

“Huh? Yeah. I’m…” Alex mumbles. He can’t finish the sentence because, in reality, he isn’t okay. 

 

“Guerin never told you?” Kyle asks him. Alex whips his head up and looks at Kyle. 

 

“No. Why would he have told me?” Alex hedges, “And besides, nothing is confirmed.” He breathes out a little, more nervous than anxious. 

 

“Dude,” Kyle smirks with a knowing look on his face, “C’mon.”

 

“What?” Alex asks defensively. Kyle shakes his head.

 

“You and Guerin.” Kyle’s smirking. Alex almost falls out of his chair. He feels like he isn’t getting enough air into his lungs. 

 

“Me and Guerin what?” Alex surprisingly manages. 

 

“You two weren’t exactly subtle,” Kyle says. And doesn’t that suck. That he wanted to hide Michael away. Not because he felt like he was some dirty little secret, but because he was scared. And apparently everyone could tell they loved each other anyway. Karma is a bitch. Alex shakes his head.

 

“He never told me,” Alex says quietly. He’s still reeling at this news. Barely able to even process it all. Besides, nothing about Michael has even been confirmed yet. But he knows, in his bones, that it’s true. He can  _ feel _ it.

 

“Well maybe there’s nothing to tell?” Kyle offers, but Alex knows that’s not true.

 

“Yeah. Maybe,” Alex agrees, not quite ready to voice  _ all _ of his opinions. Kyle gazes at him with sympathy. He feels like his whole world just turned on its side. Probably because it did.  He sighs. 

 

“How are things with you guys anyways?” Kyle asks, changing the subject from aliens to his love life. He doesn’t know if he’s grateful or annoyed. 

 

“Not great,” Alex admits, somewhat reluctantly. Not entirely sure he wants to divulge their latest fight, when he’s just confirmed to Kyle that they were even a thing. Although, it would be nice to finally be able to talk to  _ somebody _ about his relationship with Michael. And not just in half truths.

 

“Man. I get that,” Kyle says, with some humor.

 

“You and Liz?” Alex asks, taking the reprieve from his own love life. 

 

“Yeah. And Max.” Kyle shakes his head. Alex laughs. 

 

“Not gonna lie. Kinda glad I’m not the only one with alien problems.” Diverting to humor in order to try and process what he’s learned. That has Kyle laughing loudly.

 

“Yeah. Guess not.” He sobers.

 

“Look,” Kyle says, more serious than he’s been all morning, “I didn’t tell you to create more problems for you. And you have to know that this is top secret. What your dad is working on. Which I guess you can understand.” Alex nods.

 

“And I don’t know how much Liz knows. Or what she just isn’t telling me. And I don’t know for sure the others are Michael and Isobel. Or even how they got here, or when they got here. I just needed you to know, in case your dad came to you,” Kyle says. And Alex can guess why. If Max really is an alien, along with Michael and Isobel, they aren’t threats to humanity. They wouldn’t hurt anyone. They were just children when they were found on the side of the road, completely unaware. And if what Kyle said about his dad wanting to  _ eliminate _ aliens is true, then they’re in danger. 

 

“I got it,” Alex assures, “I won’t say anything.”

 

“Well you can ask Guerin,” Kyle suggests with some humor in his voice. Alex shakes his head. Like that would go over well.

 

“But I wanted your help, too,” Kyle says.

 

“My help?” Alex asks. 

 

“Yeah. Your dad knows that there is a living alien among us. Thanks to me.” Kyle looks sad. “And he’s not going to stop. As I’m sure you know.” Alex nods again.

 

“And really, I could ask Liz, but she seems super conflicted about Max, about her sister’s death, and well, if we can confirm for sure that Michael is another alien, then maybe he’d help us stop your dad.”

 

Alex reels back. Why would Kyle want Michael’s help? And what about Rosa’s death?

 

“What about Rosa’s death?” Alex asks.

 

Kyle shakes his head, “Nothing. Just some, inconsistencies, in the story.”

 

“Mmm,” Alex frowns, knowing there’s more to that story, but he’s had enough shocking news for one morning. He’d probably have better luck with Liz anyway.

 

“And I’m not asking Guerin,” Alex says. Because, honestly, he doesn’t even know how he would bring that topic up. 

 

“Can you? Please?” Kyle pleads. “They could all be in danger. You know what your dad is like.”

 

_ And wasn’t that was the worst part? _

 

“Can’t you ask Liz to ask Max?” 

 

“No. She doesn’t know your dad is involved. I didn’t think it was right to tell anyone but you. At least until we figure this all out.”

 

Alex is grateful for that. Nothing like learning your dad is a tyrant from more than one person. He sighs. He doesn’t want to do this. He doesn’t want to ask Michael if he’s an  _ alien _ . They have so much history between the two of them. Bad blood, hot passion, and endless love. But this is something that, if true, Michael has never wanted him to know. For whatever reason, and that hurts. More than he thought it would. But, he’d never forgive himself if something happened to Michael, or Isobel or Max, and he didn’t do something to try and stop it. 

 

“I’ll see what I can do,” Alex finally agrees. 

 

“Thanks,” Kyle says, “Let me know when you talk to him, how it goes.” Alex nods to him.

 

“Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get to work,” Kyle says as he stands and heads towards the door. He turns to look at Alex, “I really am sorry about dumping this on you, for what it’s worth.” 

 

“Yeah. Me too,” Alex replies. He imagines this is equally hard for Kyle. Finding out your dead father was working to find and eradicate aliens. That aliens are real. It’s a lot to take in. 

 

“Hey, at least it’ll give you an excuse to talk to Guerin again,” Kyle says and smiles. Alex can’t help it, he laughs. 

 

“Yeah, that’s what you got from all of that?” Alex asks as Kyle walks outside.

 

He hears Kyle laughing, as he gets farther away from Alex’s cabin. Alex pauses to take everything in. He knows before he starts dwelling on everything that he needs more answers. And there’s only one person he can get them from. 

 

He pulls out his phone and texts Michael before he can stop himself:   _ Can we talk? _

 

He then stares at his phone, willing those grey bubbles to appear. He doesn’t have to wait long.

 

Michael sends back:  _ Sure…  _

 

Alex texts:  _ Can you come to my place?  _

 

He sends an address. He wants to have some semblance of an upper hand when he confronts Michael. 

 

Michael replies:  _ Be there in thirty.  _

 

Alex puts his phone down and leans back in the chair. What he really wants to do is pace but, he knows that will be hell on his leg later. He doesn’t want to have this conversation. Hell, he doesn’t know if he wants to have  _ any _ conversation with Michael that isn’t “I’m sorry. I love you.” He knows they have to talk about what happened at the drive-in, and he needs to apologize for the things he said, but how does he do that  _ and _ talk to him about everything he learned from Kyle? He doesn’t have to think long, because there’s a knock at his door, making him jump.

 

“It’s open,” Alex yells, because he really doesn’t want to get up just yet.

 

Michael walks in, with his head down, his shoulders sagging, and a guarded look on his face. Such a contrast from the confident man he had seen since he returned to Roswell.  _ Dammit _ . He feels terrible. 

 

“Hey,” Alex says as he gestures toward an empty chair.  Michael sits down.

 

“Hey,” Michael says back, quietly. He still hasn’t made eye contact. Which hurts. A lot. But, he guesses that he deserves it. Alex doesn’t want to have this conversation. He doesn’t want to upset Michael anymore than he already has. Besides, how  _ do  _ you ask someone that they’re an alien? Someone that you love, but that you’ve hurt? He doesn’t know what to say, so he figures he should just come out with it.

 

“Look. I know we need to talk. About  _ us, _ ” Alex says, which has Michael looking up at him, “And I want to talk but there’s something else we need to talk about first. Something much more pressing. And I don’t want to, but I have to. And I promise I’ll explain everything. And I promise that I am not doing this to avoid talking about us. I’m not, okay?” Alex grabs one of Michael’s hand. The scarred one. He rubs his fingers over the scar, “Okay?”

 

Michael looks down at their joined hands and then back up into Alex’s eyes, a confused look on his face. But willing to hear Alex out. “Okay.”

 

Alex takes a deep breath, readying himself to ask something that could change everything, “Are you an alien?”

 

He immediately feels Michael’s hand tense as he pulls it back from Alex like he’s been shocked. He has this incredulous look on his face and he’s blinking rapidly. It’s really all the confirmation Alex needs. He grabs Michael’s hand again, this time holding it with a strength he didn’t know he possessed. He didn’t know how he felt about Kyle’s revelations until this moment. To see the abject fear in Michael’s eyes. To know that he put it there. To know that once again he was hurting the man he loves, was enough for him to decide that he’d do anything and everything to protect him. 

 

“What?” Michael breathes out quietly. His eyes are downcast and his breathing is erratic. Alex grabs his chin and tilts his head up. He scoots his chair over closer to Michael’s until they’re both practically touching. He gazes into Michael’s golden eyes as he brings his mouth closer to Michael’s. He leaves barely a breath between their lips. Not wanting to close the distance between them until Michael lets him. He doesn’t know how long they stay like this, and he’s beginning to think Michael isn’t actually going to kiss him. He starts to back away, but Michael grabs ahold of his arm and seals their lips together. In response, he pulls Michael into a sweet, slow kiss. Hoping to convey with his actions, what he can’t yet with words. He coaxes Michael’s tongue into his own mouth and moans at the intrusion. He breaks the kiss, reluctantly, and leans his forehead against Michael’s. 

 

“Michael,” Alex says and he hears Michael’s breath catch. It’s then that he realizes what he said. When’s the last time he called Michael  _ Michael _ ? How did he always end up hurting him? 

 

“Please?” Alex asks him, because even though he knows in his heart that what Kyle said is true, he needs Michael to confirm it. He feels Michael nod against his head a couple of times before he pulls back to look at Alex. He sees Michael open and close his mouth a couple of times, just like a fish. It’s almost rewarding that he’s made Michael speechless, but then he remembers what they’re talking about, and he goes to speak, when Michael cuts him off.

 

“How did you?” Michael asks, and then he grabs at his curls. A clear sign that he’s frustrated. 

 

“Kyle,” Alex says, hoping that Michael knows enough about Liz and Max that he doesn’t have to elaborate. 

 

“Fucking Liz!” Michael growls, which surprises Alex, “I knew she’d say something.” He gets up to grab his phone out of his pocket. He’s shaking and about as mad as Alex has seen him.

 

“What are you doing?” Alex asks as he reaches out to grab Michael’s arm.

 

“Calling Max. I can’t believe she said something. We knew she couldn’t be trusted. We  _ knew _ .”

 

“Don’t,” Alex says and tugs Michael towards him again, “Please don’t. Let me explain everything I know. And then we can talk about you,” he gives Michael a pointed look. 

 

Michael nods, and Alex begins. The more he talks the more and more resigned and scared Michael starts looking. He grabs Michael’s hand and squeezes it. When he finally finishes, he can’t help but ask.

 

“What’s with the handprint anyways? Kyle wouldn’t say,” Alex asks him. Michael sighs.

 

“It’s Max. When he heals someone, it leaves a handprint. A way to communicate with them,” Michael says uncomfortably.

 

“Heals someone?” Alex asks, then remembers what Kyle said, “Healed her because she got shot?”

 

Michael nods. Alex breathes out and leans back in his chair. 

 

“Can you do that?” Alex asks before he thinks better of it.

 

“No.” Michael looks sad. Alex’s curiosity gets the best of him though.

 

“What  _ can _ you do?” 

 

Michael gives him a  _ look _ . Then he sighs and turns his head toward one of the empty coffee mugs. No sooner does the mug lift from the table and land in the sink. Alex’s mouth drops open. He knows he’s staring into his kitchen. He’s not quite sure he can comprehend what just happened.

 

“What? How did you?” 

 

“Telekinesis,” Michael answers, “I can move things with my mind.” Alex nods like this is a normal conversation.

 

“And Isobel?” Alex asks. Michael gets a closed off look on his face. Almost stoic. Alex knew, of course, that they were friends. But he’s just now beginning to understand the depth of that friendship. As the pieces fall into place, he feels like even more of an asshole for the other morning.

 

“Telepathy,” Michael answers. Huh, he wasn’t expecting that. 

 

“What else can you do?” 

 

“We’ve never really tried to figure it out,” Michael shrugs with a look of sadness. 

 

“You don’t know where you’re from or how you got here?” Alex asks, and he sees Michael shake his head. His heart  _ aches _ for Michael.

 

“I’m sorry.” Alex leans up to grab Michael’s hand again. 

 

“I have to tell them about your dad.”

 

“I know. But that can wait until later.”

 

“Later?” 

 

“Mmm.” Alex stands and pulls Michael up with him. He goes to grab his crutch but Michael levitates it and brings it to him. He laughs.

 

“That’s convenient,” Alex jokes. He turns to see Michael has a blush rising across his neck and face.  _ Adorable. _

 

“I wanted to tell you…” Michael trails off but Alex silences him with a kiss.

 

“It’s okay,” Alex says as he walks them to his bedroom.

 

“Show me,” Alex breathes as they reach the threshold to his room. Michael takes the invitation for what it is and moves them back towards the bed. He lays down slowly while Michael stands over him. He feels his shirt start to lift up on its own accord and he laughs. He watches Michael undress himself as he literally undresses Alex with his eyes. When they’re finally naked, and pressed together skin to skin, his prosthesis leaning against his nightstand, he breathes out.

 

Michael kisses him and takes him to a place filled with pleasure and love. He knows two things. That he loves Michael Guerin and that Michael is an alien. He can’t wait to find out more. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come find me on Tumblr - same username!


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